


Drive By (not just a)- Part 3 "let's skip the 'how you been'"

by GlynnisIsta8



Series: Drive By [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Mild Language, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 09:31:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2502965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlynnisIsta8/pseuds/GlynnisIsta8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy Lewis and Steve Rogers met at a diner in DC, had a night of passion and she woke up alone.  She moves to New York to work with her friend Jane at Avengers Tower while nursing a broken heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Drive By (not just a)- Part 3 "let's skip the 'how you been'"

**Author's Note:**

> Marvel owns all but my errors. This is un-beta'd.
> 
> Song 'Drive By (not just a) by Train- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slpVaf8tq5E 
> 
> Final Part for this story. Thanks for reading!

Darcy sat up in her bed and looked around her disbelievingly as daylight filtered into the too-quiet hotel room. How could someone so good and sweet go from practically demanding to please her, murmuring about love and the best night of his life, kissing her with adoration, and practically crying with her… to this? She blinked back tears and even called his name once, in the vain hope that he wasn't really gone. There was no reply, just silence.

There was almost no evidence that Steve had even been there, besides her pleasantly aching body and her sadly aching heart. She couldn't find the room key, but couldn't be certain it hadn't gotten lost as they’d undressed. She stayed in the room as long as she could and finally went to check out, asking if there were any messages for her and finding none. She ended up waiting for a long time at the airport, too, as her flight was delayed by some emergency involving a caravan of black sedans that forcibly reminded her of the SHIELD agents she’d met in New Mexico, though the men in black she glimpsed today seemed more imposing, some almost evil looking to her. Many delayed travelers said rapturously that there were a few Avengers with the mysterious men in black, but Darcy couldn’t get excited. Her feelings were too hurt. She did join in the clapping and celebration as she saw school-kids reunited with their overwrought families.

Finally, she reached New York and the relative safe-haven of the building many people now called Avengers Tower. Jane’s lab was fancier than Darcy could have imagined and if Thor noticed that his affectionate greeting almost brought tears to her eyes, he was too kind to do anything more than hug her harder. She laughed away her tears and pushed the sense that she’d found and lost a slice of perfect happiness down as deep inside as she could. Her effort didn't keep away the dreams she had almost every night, or the ache of loss she felt.

Work-wise she was happier than she’d ever been before. The brilliant minds around her, Jane and Bruce Banner and even occasionally Tony Stark, helped her through her online coursework so she could finally get her college degree and begin working on a master’s degree. They even trained her as a real science assistant, teaching her more than her coursework in most cases. In return, she brought down-to-earth warmth and humor to their lives, making sure they ate and slept, helping them with admin trivialities, reminding them to stop and be human every now and again. The three ‘mad scientists,’ as Darcy referred to them, loved working with each other and drove each other to new discovery and happy heights of intellect. Within a few weeks they were beginning to gel into a dysfunctional happy family of sorts.

Personally, she nursed her wounded heart and rejected all attempts Jane made at matchmaking her, growing more impatient and short-tempered with each subsequent attempt. Now that Jane was blissfully joyful with Thor, she was determined that those she loved should also be as happy. One day in the lab, Jane grew frustratingly insistent. “Darcy! Come on! Jeremy in Legal is really nice and he’s very interested in you. He’s handsome. He’s the sixth guy I've mentioned to you. You haven’t dated anyone since you got here. Why?”

Darcy looked up from the transcriptions she was doing for Jane and stretched with her hands up over her head, noticing from the corner of her eye the way that Bruce and Tony stopped talking to watch her. Their admiration of her form was a slight balm, but she felt it at a distance. She laughed off Jane’s concern. “Ease up there, Astro-Yenta. Maybe I've turned over a new leaf now that I’m finally a college graduate. Without SHIELD holding me down, I can grow up or something.” Her false flippancy didn't fool her friend.

Jane stared at Darcy, nibbling her lip and shaking her head. “No. That’s not it. I mean, sure, that’s important, but there’s something else different about you. Before we came here you were always game for a date, even if the guy seemed like a total waste of time. You always said you believed in possibilities and frog-prince potential.” Darcy made a disgusted noise.

Bruce spoke up with a guess, “Unrequited love?” His eyes were deeply sympathetic. Darcy shrugged uncomfortably.

Tony offered, “If I was in the market I’d skip around you, Lewis. You’re hot as hell, but you read as ‘taken’ to me, too. Who is he? What’s the deal?”

Darcy shook her head, smiling as she finally admitted, “Just the perfect guy. Paradise lost and all that.” She shrugged and tried to go back to her work.

Jane pounced, “Spill! That’s way too cryptic.”

Darcy poked Jane’s shoulder, “Back to work, you.”

Bruce spoke resolutely, “He can’t be perfect if he broke your heart.” Darcy sighed.

Jane offered eagerly, “Thor can pound him to dust with Mjolnir if that’s the case. We’ll track him down and teach him not to mess with our friend.” She looked determined and angry.

Darcy let out an impatient huff. “No! He’s a good guy. Goodness is like his defining thing. It didn't hurt that he looked as perfect as a man can, but he was… sweet… kind of old fashioned, and… lonely, so lonely. He lost both his ‘girl’ and his best friend in war or something and stayed so busy he didn't even realize he’d been mourning for about three years. It was kind of like time confused him.” Tony’s eyes widened slightly as he turned his gaze to Darcy again. 

Darcy continued, “I felt a connection and tenderness with him like I've never felt before. That’s all.” She shook her head and looked away from the others’ eyes so they wouldn't see how she misted up as she admitted, “Waking up alone the next day was a shock that’ll take a while to get past. My room key was missing, so I think he meant to come back. I just hope he’s okay and I wish...” Her face crumpled momentarily.

Jane pressed on angrily, “If it was just a drive by, that’s all the more reason to move on to someone else!”

Darcy tried to laugh it off, but became increasingly agitated, her hand gestures becoming wilder and her voice rising with each word. “I can’t! It wasn't just a drive by! Not him. My mind and my heart just can’t get together on this. Maybe it’s that the sex was so fantastic! Either I blacked out from sheer pleasure or he recovered for subsequent fun like immediately.” Bruce covered his eyes and shook his head as he made a slight noise of realization. “The only thing I thought he might lie about was it being his first time. I mean, sure, I showed him what I liked… but every time I did, he copied me PERFECTLY and then came up with variations that took things to a whole new level. It was like he was this master tactician and applied that skill to… frankly RUINING me for other men. So, please just back off for a while with the matchmaking! I don’t want anyone but him.” She threw her hands up in frustration and left the room.

Tony and Bruce exchanged shocked looks. Tony said, “Holy shit! That sounded like…” Bruce nodded and then shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Jane asked incredulously, “What did that sound like?” Tony shook his head at her and played dumb, shrugging as though she’d misheard him. Jane huffed and ran after her friend, calling, “Darcy! I’m sorry!”

Tony turned back to Bruce, “How many master-tactician, perfect-man virgins are there out there?” He barked out a laugh of disbelief.

Bruce shook his head, “He wouldn't ever run out on a girl.”

Tony nodded reluctantly, “I’m still trying to wrap my head around him finally sleeping with one, but you’re right. He must have had a reason.” He thought for a moment. “JARVIS? On the date that Darcy flew here from DC, were there any notable SHIELD ops on record involving Captain America?” JARVIS replied in the affirmative and shared a summary.

Bruce asked, “So, do we tell Darcy that?”

Tony shrugged, “I don’t know. While I’m 99.9% sure no other man on Earth matches her description, we don’t know 100% that it was him. We also don’t know his side of it and what he intended with her next. She might have too good of a sense of humor for him! Or he might have woken up and thought he’d be too cliché if he actually fell for the first girl he nailed. They’re bound to bump into each other again at some point, hopefully here. I vote we make him handle it. Just think of the entertainment value if we get front-row seats!” He snorted.

Bruce grinned slightly, “You love that he’s probably being eaten alive by guilt for thinking he did something you actually did in your playboy days, don’t you?” 

Tony smirked in reply. “I know. I know. I should probably feel bad for him, but I don’t. Do you remember your first time as something the girl wanted to write an epic poem about? I sure as hell don’t. Mr. Perfect can’t even lose his cherry like a normal guy. I was a seriously-renowned playboy and that story’s still frickin’ aggravating.” Bruce laughed.

At that moment, JARVIS brought the fall of SHIELD and events surrounding it to Tony’s attention- alerting Tony that a vast amount of information on SHIELD and Hydra had been declassified and released onto the internet, that SHIELD had been compromised and had declared Captain America a fugitive. Tony told JARVIS to alert the others. JARVIS also brought up video feeds for Tony and Bruce to watch.

Pepper came to the lab and watched as Tony paced back and forth, more and more like a caged animal with each step, trying to reach the other Avengers by phone or get JARVIS to locate them any way possible. When Pepper said, “JARVIS, please resume production of Iron Man suits.” Tony turned, pulled Pepper against him and thanked her for understanding. She kissed him and urged, “Just come home to me.” He murmured promises to her.

Darcy and Jane returned to the lab to watch the replay of the helicarrier crashes on the TV with the others. They all marveled at the skill of a winged man evading helicarrier fire. Thor joined them, too, wishing they’d known about things sooner so they could have helped their fellow Avengers. JARVIS showed them grainy security camera visual footage of a one-on-one battle between Captain America and an opponent who seemed nearly his equal. Thor cried out at one point, “Our Captain is not fighting as mightily as he can. Something is wrong! He is allowing his opponent to beat him!” 

Darcy, already on edge after her earlier outburst, felt very disquieted as she watched Captain America fighting. She’d long admired his physique and thought he sounded noble, if a bit unreal. The security camera did not give them any audio, so the room was nearly silent as things looked worse for the Captain. They were all completely quiet as they saw Captain America fall from the helicarrier to the water below, his attacker apparently giving chase. Bruce began to pace, breathing deeply and looking as though he might need to make a quick exit at any moment. Thor saw this and put himself between Bruce and the others, watching carefully. Neither Thor nor Darcy understood the occasionally ill-at-ease and pained expression Bruce had as he glanced at Darcy.

Tony’s phone rang. He grunted, “Finally.” Then he yelled into it, “Romanoff! What the hell? What happened to Cap?” A second later he let out a loud breath of relief. “She found him alive. He’s gonna make it.” Bruce sighed with relief and gave Tony a pointed look. Tony replied, “Just because he annoys me doesn't mean I want him dead!”

Tony talked with Natasha for a while and then told the others in the lab. “They’ll come in for a visit next week.” He smirked at Darcy and she had no idea why. “Natasha needs to do some stuff in Europe and Rogers is hell-bent on finding his old friend- who apparently didn't die so much as get turned into a seriously brain-washed Hydra assassin bent on Cap’s murder. For now, Cap’s recovering in the hospital. The guy with the wings, Falcon, needs repairs before they head out to find Barnes and Cap needs a new suit. I… volunteered my services.” Bruce made a grumbling noise and sighed impatiently. Tony glanced at Bruce with the shadow of a grin and added, “Barton is on his way here and Maria Hill is coming to apply to head up security for Avengers Tower. Let’s make it official and put out notice to the bad guys that we’re coming for them now that Cap turned over the rocks they were hiding under.” The rest of his day was spent testing new Iron Man suits, especially power capabilities.

Over the next several days, Darcy kept busy looking after Jane and the Avengers in residence. Iron Man, Thor and Hulk took out Hydra bases revealed in the info dump Black Widow had done. This required more coffee, food, and encouragement than Darcy had ever imagined anyone could require. Darcy’s talent for no-nonsense observation came in handy, too, as the ‘mad scientists’ and Avengers had their focus on things outside the tower. She tended to their abandoned experiments and reviewed their data for information that they might otherwise miss. She threw herself into her efforts whole-heartedly; glad that she could be even a small part of something important and determined to help keep the heroes’ spirits up. That staying busy took her mind off her broken heart was just a bonus.

One day about a week later after a mass coffee run during which she felt oddly like someone was watching her at one point (causing her to go out of the shop a different way like her Avenger friends had taught her), Darcy was carefully carrying a new gun prototype into Tony’s lab. She saw that he had visitors. Tony was taking apart some sort of amazing-looking contraption like a jet pack with one wing attached while two large men watched him. Darcy let out a whistle, “That’s awesome looking!” One of the men jolted to attention at the sound of her voice and Darcy saw Tony suppress a grin. She continued, “Put it together with this new ray gun and you can kick some major Hydra ass!” 

The men turned around to face her. The African-American man smiled flirtatiously and said, “Hey, there, pretty girl with hot firepower. How you doin’?” 

Darcy didn’t even hear his words.

The second man was Steve. In front of him, in his left hand like it was a natural extension of his arm, was Captain America’s shield. Darcy stopped in her tracks, stared, and gasped, “Holy… Captain America!” She froze. Steve looked as though he’d been punched. Darcy struggled not to hyperventilate.

Tony was grinning like mad, but glanced at the gun in her hand and stopped his work on the wing pack, and then walked over to Darcy very gingerly. “Whoa! Hey now! Give me the shiny weapon. Only I get to shoot things in my lab.” He turned to Steve. “What is it with you and pissing off girls with access to guns?” Steve couldn't even acknowledge Tony. He just kept staring at Darcy.

Darcy looked at Tony, almost comically puzzled. “What would I shoot?” Off Tony’s look towards Steve, she shook her head. “No! I wouldn't ever shoot him.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Tony shrugged, “Most girls only WISH they were armed to the teeth on meeting up again with a guy who did a drive by on them and, what was it? Ruined you for all other men?” He snickered slightly. She glared at him.

Sam let out a low whistle while a variety of emotions passed across Steve’s face. Sam chided, “Cap! You dog!” Steve shot Sam a dirty look and quickly turned his gaze back to Darcy.

Darcy blushed deeply, closed her eyes for a second, and released the weapon to Tony. Then she made a slightly strangled noise and said to Steve, “I… I… I’m sorry I babbled about us. I was so frustrated that Jane kept trying to set me up with other guys. I had no idea you were… uh, you are… Aw, dammit!” She turned to leave as Tony started chuckling. 

She froze again when Steve choked out, “Darcy! No! Don’t go! Please listen! I’m sorry!!! I got called out on a mission. I didn't want to go, but there were kids in the middle of it. Terrorists nabbed senators at Reagan International. Natasha rightly pointed out that most of the STRIKE team was going to put the politicians ahead of the school group in the middle. I got back as quickly as I could, but it was too late. You’d already checked out. I didn't have any idea where you’d gone or even what your last name might be.” He glanced at Tony and said, “And I know what you mean about matchmaking being frustrating.”

She turned back, “You couldn't wake me and say you had to go to work?” The hurt in her face caused him to groan with pain.

He stumbled forward and spoke miserably, “I went out to get breakfast for us. Then I got the text and was picked up.” He looked shamefaced, “It gutted me to think that you would believe I ran out on you. I've looked for you everywhere I've been since that night. I thought I saw you earlier today, like I've wished I’d seen you so many times! I've felt guiltier over hurting you than over some of the kills I've made. I've been pushing myself harder than ever, running further and faster, training harder… trying to escape the loss of you, and the dreams- and the thought that you must hate me.”

She stared at him for a beat, shook her head slightly, and said, “Oh. Now what?”

His expression was a mix of hope and anguish as he let out a shaky breath, “I want you. Tell me what you want?”

She gasped and ran forward. He dropped his shield and pulled her up against him, kissing her for all he was worth.

Sam grunted as the shield landed on his foot, “Ow. Guess that’s for flirting with your girl, eh, Cap?”

Steve didn't stop kissing Darcy, but grinned and nodded. Tony cleared his throat, “Um, pardon me, ‘paradise regained’? Could you take that elsewhere? Some of us have work to do.”

Darcy laughed throatily, “Aw. Tony’s responsible, work-ethic guy. Isn't that cute?” Jane and Thor walked in and froze, gaping. Darcy pulled back from Steve and said, “He had to save kids, Jane! I told you he was good. I told you he wouldn't just do a drive by!” She gave Steve a squeeze as he flinched.

Thor greeted Steve coolly, “Greetings, Captain. It is good to see you well. I am surprised to find my small shield sister in your arms in this manner, however. Do her words convey that you are the one who trifled with her affections?” He looked forbidding. Sam’s jaw went slack as thunder sounded outside the windows.

Darcy glared at Thor, “He had to save people. YOU know how that is.”

Thor nodded acknowledgment, “Aye. It would have been better for you to promise your return, though, Captain.” Jane made a noise and Thor smiled at her placatingly.

Steve nodded and said, “I wish I’d had the chance.” Thor nodded reluctant acceptance.

Jane looked thrown off balance as she said, “Yeah. Okay. Darcy? You didn't tell me he was Captain America!” 

Sam leaned over and introduced himself to Jane and Thor, looking reasonably awestruck on meeting the god of thunder.

Darcy kissed Steve again and said, “Well, he skirted truthiness when he told me the Army made more of him, so I didn't know that.” Sam laughed. Darcy pulled back and stared into Steve’s face with a sudden look of anguish. “Oh, no! Was the guy who tried to kill you last week your friend that you told me about?” He nodded. She started kissing and hugging him even more fervently, crying, “Oh, honey! No wonder you went easy on him!” She sniffed, “I could have lost you! I watched that stuff happen and didn't even know!” She kissed him passionately and moaned.

Tony grunted, “PLEASE get a room!”

Jane turned to Tony with an accusing look and smacked his arm, “Was ‘Captain America’ what Darcy’s story sounded like to you? Is that what you were saying to Bruce that day?”

Tony shrugged, “How many sex-master tactician virgin soldiers do you think there ARE out there? We were both pretty sure. I mean… the immediate recovery-time description alone…” Steve blushed and Darcy made an apologetic face. Sam stifled a laugh. “But we didn't know for sure and didn't know what he wanted next. I still think she has too much sense of humor for him. Then the SHIELD cluster-fuck happened. So, I invited him here and I figured they’d run into each other and he could handle his screw up for himself.” Tony rolled his eyes.

Jane noted, “Coward!”

Tony shrugged, “I made enough girls cry in my time. I had no desire to deal with more tears I didn't even cause!”

Steve sighed and gently slid his hands up to cup her face, “I’m so sorry I had to leave you. It made me sick to hurt you.” 

Thor smiled on hearing Steve’s apology. Steve looked at Darcy with a reverence and gentleness that caused Jane to say, “Awww!”

Darcy replied to Steve, “I get it. I helped Jane pick up the pieces when Thor didn't call after you guys kicked Chitauri ass and he disappeared again.”

Steve made a noise of recognition. “You MUST be the one who tased Thor!”

Darcy preened a bit. “Knocked him on his ass!” Thor made a face and nodded.

Steve grinned. “You knocked me on mine without any weapon at all. I noticed you had the taser in your coat when you put it on to leave the diner, though. I’m kind of good at spotting when someone’s armed.”

She laughed, “Tcha! I hope so!” 

He shrugged and looked at her questioningly. “There will be times when it, ‘Avenging’, gets in the way, not to mention my search for Bucky.” He lifted one of her hands and kissed it reverently. “Assuming my being Captain America doesn't scare you away.”

She grinned, “Dude! I don’t scare easy.”

Thor offered, “Lady Darcy is fearless. She bested me with her lightning weapon, helped evacuate civilians when Loki sent The Destroyer after us…”

Darcy added, “And puppies!”

Thor grinned and continued, “And provided valuable assistance on the field of battle again Malekith’s Dark Elf forces.”

Steve looked stricken at the thought of Darcy in danger. She punched him in the arm and then made a face and shook out her hand. “In New Mexico, Loki threatened a whole town. The second time we had to stop the destruction of the whole frickin’ universe. What would you expect me to do?” He nodded with reluctant admiration and pulled her close, chuckling ruefully. 

Darcy said, “As to your secret identity? I’m gonna look on the bright side. I don’t even have to give up my long-time crush on Captain America’s ass.” Steve stifled a laugh as he blushed helplessly. Her grin softened, “I think you should tell me more about what you want now.”

He kissed her and moaned slightly, “I was so lost without you. I fell so hard when I met you!” He cupped her face with both of his hands and kept kissing her. “Will you go on a date with me? Try and get things back in the right order, sort of?”

Tony chimed in, “You should probably get her last name and her phone number while you’re at it, Cap.” He smirked. “And you might want to confess that you’re a lecherous old man, too.”

Steve grimaced, pulled back and looked at Darcy, offered his hand for her to shake and said, “Hi there, doll. I’m Steve Rogers and Captain America. Depending on how you look at things I’m either 95 or 29. What’s your name?”

Darcy giggled, “I’m Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster’s BFF, Avengers’ helper gnome, mad-scientist-wrangler, and little shield-sister to Thor. Good to meet you, Captain Rogers.” She stuck her tongue out at Tony. “I know about the age thing. I had to learn songs about him in history class when I was a kid. I’m gonna make up new verses now.” To Steve, she said, “You’re perfect no matter what your age is. Besides, my best friend’s guy? He’s about a thousand years old.”

Thor nodded. “Tis true. I have often wondered why the Man of Iron sharpens his tongue on the Captain over that matter, yet spares me.”

Tony coughed a word that sounded like ‘hammer.’

Steve added to Darcy, “I’d like to get your number and ask you to be my girl, too.”

She queried, “Your girl?”

He nodded, ducking his head a bit shyly, “Well… more than friends, for sure. But yeah, my girl.”

She winked, “Sounds like a plan. Rumor has it you’re good with that sort of thing. How about we start with a burger and a milkshake? It’s a few hours away, but I know a place…”

He replied, “Don’t forget fries. I know a place here in New York that makes them even better than that diner in DC.” He kissed her sweetly, “I’d like to take you someplace nicer, maybe get you to teach me to dance.” He grinned. “You’re an excellent instructor.” Tony made a choking noise. Darcy laughed at the snarky false innocence in Steve’s expression.

She grinned, “You’re on! Though I’m sure we should go back to DC sometime and tell Louise that she’s a genius.” He nodded agreement.

They kissed again, both sighing with contentment that they were together, both knowing it was the beginning of something that would last for a long, happy time to come.

 

fin


End file.
